Civil unions, civility return to House

Freshly minted speaker calls for an end to anti-government rhetoric

Speaker of the House Mark Ferrandino, D-Denver, right, is congratulated by his twin sister, Nicole McWhirter, left, and Ferrandinos husband, Greg Wertsch, on Wednesday as the Colorado Legislature opened its general session in the State Capitol in Denver.

David Zalubowski/Associated Press

DENVER  One handshake brought to an end a bitter year in Colorado politics.

Speaker of the House Frank McNulty banged his gavel one last time to call the House of Representatives to order for 2013 on Wednesday morning.

Last May, McNulty, R-Highlands Ranch, wielded the same gavel to kill legislation to create civil unions for gay and lesbian couples, even though supporters had the votes to pass it in the House.

Democrats vowed to put McNulty out of a job, and they targeted vulnerable Republicans such as Ignacios J. Paul Brown.

Durango Democrat Mike McLachlan beat Brown. It was one of five new seats for Democrats  plenty to make Denver Rep. Mark Ferrandino Colorados first gay speaker of the House.

A good-natured McNulty congratulated Ferrandino with a handshake Wednesday morning and then took his seat among the Republican rank-and-file.

The handshake also ushered in a much different era in the House, both in style and substance.

Ferrandino sponsored last years ill-fated civil-unions bill, and his husband, Greg Wertsch, sat in the front row to watch him take the reins of power.

Ferrandino had kind words for McNulty and called him his friend.

Some might say weve had our moments, but I know how deeply you care about this state, and I respect the work youve done, Ferrandino said.

The civil-unions bill is sure to pass now, bringing same-sex couples many of the rights similar to marriage.

Ferrandino and Wertsch have a year-old foster-daughter, Lila, who has been toddling around the Capitol the last few weeks.

You get a different perspective on life when youre changing diapers in the speakers office, Ferrandino said.

He began his first speech as the leader of the House by calling for an end to the anti-government rhetoric of the last few years.

When a wildfire roars into Colorado Springs or a madman opens fire in an Aurora theater, our government responds. In those urgent and impossible moments, it is our government  in the form of police officers, firefighters and paramedics  that is first on the scene, Ferrandino said.

The Legislature will stay focused on jobs bills, he said, but he also acknowledged that this year will bring an emotional debate about guns.

The Second Amendment is sacrosanct. But so is the First. It is our right  and the time is right  to speak openly and honestly about how we can curb the gun violence that costs our communities far too many sons and daughters, he said, drawing applause from Democrats and silence from Republicans.

The conversation will include mental health and gun control, he said.

Republicans find themselves in a 37-28 minority in the House, and their new leader asked for their voices to be heard this year. Last year, the House passed the budget on a near-unanimous 64-1 vote, said Minority Leader Mark Waller, R-Colorado Springs.

Waller focused his remarks on opportunity through education, and he said Democrats and Republicans can find common ground in giving Coloradans the chance to go to good schools and colleges.

Imagine how much better a place this world would be if we spent fewer dollars on prison beds and, in turn, used those dollars for desks in the classroom, Waller said.

Legislators will hear from Gov. John Hickenlooper today for his third State of the State address. They will get to work in earnest next week on their 120-day session.

jhanel@durangoherald.com

Local lawmakers set sights on the practical

DENVER  Durangos delegation to the state Legislature already has several bills lined up.

For freshman Rep. Mike McLachlan, a Democrat, the first few weeks are about getting his feet wet, and his first set of bills will not cause much statewide controversy.

For veteran Sen. Ellen Roberts, a Republican, this will be a year to get involved in high-profile debates about health care and education.

Shell have to do that in a year when rival Democrats control both chambers of the Legislature and the governors office.

Ive been in single-party control before, so I recognize the need to be practical and pragmatic, Roberts said.

She has two bills about the use of technology in education. One would let school board members attend meetings by remote video. The second would expand the use of specialized online classes in small schools that cant afford a full-time teacher for, perhaps, an obscure language.

Young people are already used to the technology, Roberts said, and she knows kids who do their homework together over video conferencing.

I think maybe we adults could learn to take advantage of technology in the same way, Roberts said.

Roberts will serve as the lead Republican on the Senates health-care committee. Shes planning to sponsor a bill to crack down on Medicaid fraud, and she opposes Gov. John Hickenloopers recent move to let more people join Medicaid.

I think we need to be focused on delivery of services and the cost of those services, and not just handing somebody a Medicaid or insurance card, Roberts said.

McLachlan is starting with three relatively simple bills.

One would give free fishing licenses to active duty military personnel in the Wounded Warriors program.

A second bill seeks to address the $1,000 limit on municipal court fines. The limit might not be high enough to cover damage that some large trucks can inflict on small towns, McLachlan said.

He also has a bill to allow the Colorado Bureau of Investigation to hire a director who doesnt have police officer certification. The change would open the door to a wider range of applicants, he said.

Like all freshmen, McLachlan has extra time to introduce his second batch of bills, and he said he will have more legislation later this year.

Civil unions, civility return to House

Speaker of the House Mark Ferrandino, D-Denver, right, is congratulated by his twin sister, Nicole McWhirter, left, and Ferrandinos husband, Greg Wertsch, on Wednesday as the Colorado Legislature opened its general session in the State Capitol in Denver.